Oh boy, does this raise my hackles!
I've had the great good fortune of singing with some very fine choral directors,
who believed that the only way to get a vibrant rich choral sound was to allow
the singers to sing with their own voices, and rely precision in diction and
rhythm (and careful audition scrutiny) to achieve "blend." I LOVE singing in a
chorus -- there's nothing like the "high" a singer can get when singing with an
ensemble where the harmony is "locked in" and the sound seems to transcend the
combined voices. The choral repertoire contains some of the most beautiful
music
ever written for voice.
I've also had the terrible misfortune to sing with a choral director who
believed
that the only good soprano was a "boy" soprano, and that the only way to achieve
"blend" was to make every singer try to manipulate his/her voice into some flat
"medium" hooty sound. This was murder for me, a big-voiced soprano who was at
the time studying with a wonderful teacher who was turning me little by little
into a pretty decent soloist. It finally came to a point where I had to choose
between the two. The manipulations I was forced to employ to achieve the sound
this director wanted were having a severe negative impact on my vocal health,
enough that my teacher noticed.
If this "director" wants no vibrato, he should select only those singers who
exhibit no vibrato to sing in his group, instead of trying to change the singers
he has. It may come down to your singers having to choose: sing with the
chorus
with bad technique, or continue lessons with you and sing with healthy
technique. I don't see how these young singers can have it both ways,
especially
since they're at an age where their techniques are developing. The habits they
learn now will stick with them, and the bad ones will be very difficult to
eliminate later. Also, I worry about them getting into the habit of attempting
to manipulate their voices when singing in a choral setting -- what happens
later, when they have the opportunity to sing with a director who actually KNOWS
what s/he's doing?
It almost sounds as if this guy has it out for you. I'm not sure there's
anything you can say to him, except perhaps to explain your vocal "philosophy"
--
that you teach your students to sing with a healthy relaxed technique that will
form the foundation for their ability to be soloists. If that conflicts with
his
"philosophy," then it might be better for him if your students refrain from
singing in his choirs. Your students can look for a good community or church
choral program if they want to sing in a choir.
Just my $.02.
Cheers!
Lana
Domisosing@a... wrote:
Domisosing@a... wrote:
> Hi List,
> I would appreciate any suggestions on how to deal with a problem:
> First, I have several students in a particular high school choir program
> who are developing wonderful solo voices. However, their choir teacher is
> discouraging them from studying with me because he doesn't think that their
> sound "blends" with his choir sound. Let me explain that his choirs are
> producing a very unhealthy tone. No vibrato is allowed, and the women singers
> are typically extremely breathy.....in fact many of my students refer to the
> soprano section as the "fans".......as in, all you hear is air. Further, the
> men are pulling their chest voice tremendously high, and the "pure, head
> voice" that the choir director believes he is developing in them, is nothing
> but falsetto......pulled chest and then a flip to falsetto.......hmmmm,
> sounds like a healthy production to me................
> More, he has the entire choir raising their soft palettes,,,,,,,which is
> not a behaviour I encourage. I believe that it is a compensatory behaviour
> that is taught to make up for the lack of resonating space lost from a high
> larynx.................
> Even more...........he has now been discouraging other students from
> studying with me, and the students I do have hide the fact that they take
> privately from me because they do not want to be singled out in their choirs.
> More my students are doing phenomenally well in classical, theatre, and pop
> genres as soloists and demonstrate healthy singing functions in their
> voices...........
> Any suggestions on how to deal with this director would be greatly
> appreciated. Other than "flaming" him, I can not think of an appropriate
> thing to say to him.
> Thanks for your input!
> Mary Beth Felker
> a "choir voice" wrecker..........LOL
>
>
--
Explain it as we may, a martial strain will urge a man into the front rank of
battle sooner than an argument, and a fine anthem excite his devotion more
certainly than a logical discourse.
~ Henry Tuckerman ~
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Lana Mountford lana@a... Seattle, WA
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